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enonen n. GILBERT, or cERMANTowN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR To THE KILBOURN KNITTING MACHINE co.

KNITTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 668,833, dated February 26, 1901.

Application filed March 26, 1891. Serial No. 386,550. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. GILBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Germantown, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circular- Knitting Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to knittingmachines; and it consists in certain improved constructions and combinations of parts in machines of the class known as automatic circular-knitting machines.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the best modes in which I have contemplated embodying my invention, and said invention is fully disclosed in the following specification and claims.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a broken rear elevation of the parts lying below the bedplate of the machine. Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of the parts immediately above the bed-plate of the machine. Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of parts above those shown in Fig. 1, the three figures forming an entire rear view of the machine. Fig. 1 is a plan view of the disk L Fig. 1 is a view of the shifterplate for shifting the picker-cams. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts below the bed-plate of the machine. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line no 00, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line msa', Fig. 2. Fig. 1 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a plan of the parts shown in Fig. 1 Fig. 6

is a sectional view on line y 1/, Fig. 5. Fig. (3 is a view of part of the reciprocating tl1rea .l-guide. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the same. Fig. 6" is a plan of the reciprocating thread-carrier cam. Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional details of parts of the same construction shown in Fig. 5. Fig. dis a detail of the cams employed in connection with the thread-guide for reciprocating work. Fig. 10 is a section on line .2 z, Fig. 4, looking from the rear of the machine. Fig. 11 is a side view of the needles employed in the machine. Fig. ll. is an edge view of two different constructions of needles. Fig. 12 is a 'chine and automatic shifting devices.

belt-shipping mechanism detached.

section on line m :0 Fig. 2, looking from the left hand of the machine. Fig. 13 is an enlarged section on line y y, Fig. 4. Fig. 14. is a detail of the upper needle-cams. Fig. 15 is a detail of the lower needle and picker cams; and Fig. 16 is a section on line 2' a, Fig. 4, looking from the right-hand side of the machine. Fig. 17 is a partial front elevation of my improved machine with automatic shifting devices for changing from circular to reciprocating Work and from reciprocating to circular work attached. Fig. 18 is a sectional detail of part of the automatic devices. Fig. 19 is a plan view ot' the ma Fig. 20 is a view of the bed-plate and supporting means and operating mechanism from the rear of the machine, showing automatic means for stopping the machine at any desired point...

Fig. 21 is a partial sectional view of the needle-cylinder and upper cam-ring, showing means for holding needles in an elevated position for running on Work. Fig. 22 is a plan view of the lower part of the cam-cylinder with the means for holding the needles. Fig. 23 is a partial section of the upper cam-cylinder. Fig. 24 is a partial interior elevation of the same. Fig. 25 is a partial view of the cam-cylinder, showing countersink therein. Fig. 26 is a partial plan view of the bed-plate, showing detent-lever and connected parts. Fig. 27 is an elevation of part of the automatic Fig. 28 is a detail of tappets of tappet-chain W.

Before the issue of my Patent No. 351,590, dated October 26, 1886, I had devised certain improvements thereon, and on March 10, 1887, I had progressed so far in the practical demonstration of the same that I made an application serially numbered 230,321-, on which Patent No. 468,513 Was granted me February 9, 182 2, for apart of the said improvements. My said application disclosed a mode of moving the pickers or needle-shifters posi* tively in both directions both during narrowing and widening and also a system of multiple needle-cams combined with the narrowing and widening devices so that during continuous circular knitting I was enabled to form two or more rows of stitches during a single revolution 01' the rotating parts, causing the reciprocation of the needles, and during reciprocating work the knitting was continued by the action of a single cam. The present application is for the perfected machine following out the same lines or general principles of constructions.

The machine is of that general class in which the stocking is made by knitting the leg by continuous rotary movement, then throwing a portion of the needles out of operation and by a reciprocating movement accompanied by first throwing a certain number of the outer needles of the series used for reciprocating Work successively out of operative relation with the operating-cam, but caused to retain their stitches for narrowing, and then throwing these same needles successively into operative relation with their operating-cam in inverse order for widening to form the heel, then knitting the foot by a continuous rotary movement, and then forming the toe in a manner similar to that in which the heel was formed. The operations for knitting a stocking might be reversedthat is, the toe might be formed first,then the foot,then the heel,and then the leg-instead of having, the operation conducted in the order just described. When speaking of the continuous rotary movement in knitting circular work, it will be understood that the class of knitting-machines referred to includes both those machines in which the needle cam or cams are rotated and those in which the needle-cylinder is actuated in the act of knitting and that my improvements are designed for application to both forms of machines.

The present invention being the completed machine partially illustrated in my said prior application, the construction here shown is in its main features substantially the same. The needles are operated by two cam-rings, the same as in my said former application. The needle shifters or pickers for throwing the needles out of action in narrowing are carried by two rings moved by two worms or screws and the said needle shifters or pickers are actuated by cam-grades in the lower camring, the same as in my former application. The two cam-rings are held a space apart and out of contact with each other and the upper cam-ring is provided with a number of cams each engaging with all of the needles for circular work, as in my said former application.

My completed machine is also constructed so that the change from circular to reciprocating work and from reciprocating to circular work is automatically effected. Itis also provided with devices whereby the machine is stopped after a predetermined number of stockings have been completed or after any predetermined amount of work has been accomplished. The automatic changing mechanism is so connected and combined with the other parts that by disconnecting the controlling parts of the automatic devices the machine will be stopped after completing a predetermined number of rows of circular Work and also after each narrowing and widening operating. The machine will first be described as organized for stopping after these movements and then as an automatic machine or one organized for continuous operation, and this description will then be followed by a description of the means whereby the automatic stopping of the machine is effected after a predetermined amount of work has been accomplished.

Referring now to the drawings for a more particular description of the machine, A is the needle-cylinder, provided with grooves to receive needles in the usual manner. The needle-cylinder is supported on lugs or projections extending inwardly from the ring or annulus B, secured to the bed-plate of the machine, as best shown in Fig. 10. At its top the needle-cylinder is provided with a nosing A, forming an extension of the cylinder and provided with hooked partitions or sinkers located between the needles to assist in holding down the work and to aid the needles in casting off the stitches. This nosing is secured to the top of a tubularsupport A which extends downward through the needle-cylinder A and is provided near the lower end with inclined slots a a. To the under side of the ring B is secured a casing 13, in the lower part of which is mounted a ring A so as to be capable of reciprocation in a horizontal plane, but held from vertical movement. This ring is provided with pins a a, engaging the slots at in the cylinder A and has also an arm or handle a by which it can be turned when desired to raise or low'er the nosing for the purpose of regulating the length of the stitches. The nosing and tubular supportare held from ro tating by splines or feathers a on the tubular support, movably engaging vertical grooves 01. on the interior of the needle -cylinder. These splines or feathers hold the nosing from moving when the ring A is turned to raise it and serve as guides for the same in its vertical movements.

The upper face of the ring B is provided with an annular recess, as at b, to receive the lower end of the lower cam-ring 0. Above the cam-ring O is another ring 13*, which is supported and held in a fixed position by standards D D. Ears upon the ring B are provided with openings engaging the upper ends of the standards, and the latter are provided with nuts above and below the said cars, so that the ring can be adjusted tothe with a short cylindrical stud which extends within the socket (Z and is secured in the proper position by a set-screw. This shaft supplies motion when circular work is being done. This construction permits the adjustment of the outer end of the shaft E to the position desired or such adjustment as is made necessary by the adjustment of the ring B upon its supporting standards D. The driving-shaft E is provided with a beveled gear-wheel e, which gears with the gearring 0 on the cam-ring O. This shaft is also provided with a band wheel or pulley E, through which motion is imparted to the shaft by means of a band from the band wheel or pulley F on the powerreceiving shaft F, mounted on the supporting-frame of the machine near the base of the same. (See Fig. 1.) Cam-ring O is provided with a gearring 0, which is engaged by a beveled gearwheel g on shaft G, mounted in bearings below the bed-plate of the machine. Shaft G is also provided with a pinion g, gearing with a spur-wheel g mounted on a stud secured to the framing of the machine. The spur-wheel g is given a reciprocating rotary movement by link 9 connecting a crankpin on said wheel with a crank-pin on the spur gear-wheel h on shaft H. (See Fig. 2.) Rotary motion is imparted to the shaft H by a pinion i on shaft I, which is provided. with the band-pulley i, which is driven by a band from band-wheel F on shaft F. The powerreceiving shaft F is provided with fast and loose pulleys ff. Power is supplied to the machine by means of a belt from some source of power, and its engagement with the fast and loose pulleys is controlled in any usual manner.

In order to increase the production of the machine, I provide the upper cam-ring C with two or more needle-operating cams. In this instance this ring is shown as provided with four of such cams 1, 2, 3, and 4. (See Fig. 14.) To the outside of the cam-cylinder I secure four thread-guides k k k k, and in order that the-threads may be supplied there to evenly and without becoming entangled I provide a rotary bobbin or spool carrier above the needle-cylinder.

To the extension B of the ring B is secured the hollow standard K. (See Figs. 1, 1, 5, and 6.) A bracket K is secured to the top of this standard,\vhich extends at one side above the needle-cylinder and has a circular opening therein. A shaft K is located within the standard K, which is provided at its lower end with a bevel-pinion 7c, (see Fig. 10,) gearing with a bevel-gear e on the shaft E. The shaft K above the bracket K is pro vided with a spur-gear k which gears with a spur-wheel K having a down wardly-extending annular flange engaging the circular aperture in the bracket K. On this gear-wheel K is mounted the spider K, which is provided with bobbin or spool holding pins ZZZ, (see Fig. 1",) forming a bobbin-carrier. This bobbin-carrier is carried or maintained in operative position by the bracket K, which is a support for the bobbin-carrier and the other parts held above the needle-cylinder. The center or hub of the gear-wheel K is provided with an aperture in which is rigidly secured a rod or tubular standard L, near the top of which is secured the spider L, carrying thread guides or loops Z. Tension devices for the different threads may be secured to this spider, if desired or found advantageous.

The tubular standard L extends below the bracket K and a short distance below said bracket is provided with the disk L having thread-guiding eyes or apertures Z The bobbins for supplying thread for the upper cam-cylinder are placed upon four of the pins Z on the spider K and the threads therefrom extend upward through the eyes Z and such tension devices as may be employed, thence downward through the apertures in the gearwheel K formed by the arms connecting the hub and rim of the wheel, as shown in Fig. 5, thence through apertures Z in the disk L and thence to the thread guides 7c and the needles in the usual manner. The operative connections are such that the spider and disk are driven at the same rate of speed as the cam-ring and its attached thread-guides, and as the threads are kept separated and are held in one constant relation to the threadguides of the cam-ring all danger of twisting and entangling is avoided.

The thread is supplied for reciprocating work by other parts coacting with some of the instruinentalities just described, as follows: In the bed'plate 0f the machine is journaled the lower end of a shaft M, which is provided at its lower end with a gear 1%, en gaging with the teeth of the gear-ring on the cam-ring C. To the under side of the bracket K is attached the casing N, the horizontal wall not which is a short distance below the bracket, and a gear-ring N rests loosely upon this wall of the casing within the recess formed thereby between the same and the bracket K. To the bracket- K is secured a bearing 0%, in which is jonrnaied the upper end of the shaft M, which is provided with a pinion m, which extends through an opening in the casing N and engages the gear ring N. To the under side of this gear-ring is secured the reciprocating threadgnide driver, consisting of the downwardly-extending sleeve N and the driver-rod N loosely mounted within the same. Thclower edge of the casing N is provided with an inwardlyextending flange a. Between this flange and the gear-ring N the sleeve is slotted on its outer side or on both its inner and outersides, as shown, and a pin n projecting from the rod N extends through said slot or slots above the flange n, so that when said rod is in its lowest position and the pin resting on said flange the rod will project below I he end of the sleeve, as shown in Fig. 8. On the 

